<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>I Promise You I'm Not Broken; I Promise You There's More by MenacingUwU</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29836914">I Promise You I'm Not Broken; I Promise You There's More</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MenacingUwU/pseuds/MenacingUwU'>MenacingUwU</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(Thank you for saving this fic Beta!), Amnesia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Betaed, Blood, Blood and Injury, Burning flesh, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, Geralt is a man of denial, Gore, Higher Vampire Jaskier | Dandelion, Hurt/Comfort, Jaskier loses his memories in this one folks!, M/M, Nightmares, Non-Human Jaskier | Dandelion, Obsessions, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Episode: s01e06 Rare Species, Sibling Relationship, Slow To Update, So much drama that you could have an all meal buffet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:49:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,860</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29836914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MenacingUwU/pseuds/MenacingUwU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Julian Alfred Vitale, future keeper of Guaita, had finally escaped his integration into higher vampire society, he’d thought his undeath would start getting better. But trying to find who you were, with no memories to help is <i> hard. <i></i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>As Julian burns bridges and searches The Continent for that lost part of himself, will he still hold strong in his quest? Even with all dire consequences, and boons attached? With the meetings of old flings and former allies? </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Of course he will, He’s still a stubborn idiot after all.</i>
  </i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Jaskier | Dandelion &amp; Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue: Eyes Don't Lie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Beginnings are hard</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His breathing was heavy and laborious when he finally opened his eyes. The first thing that hit him, besides the adrenaline coursing through his veins, was the smell. It smelled <i>bad.<i> Like horse shit and straw were combined to make the thatching for the roof.</i></i></p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Then he actually looked at his surroundings. It appeared to be a poor tavern that cried out its desperate need for coin and repair. The chairs were squeaky; the tables were creaky, and overall the whole place was quite leaky.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He was obviously tired, but of doing what? From where he sat on a table right by the only door out of this dingy place, this was a total nightmare. But the people here at least tolerated whatever he was doing. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>What he truly wanted to do was yell out the question’s roaring in his mind. <i>“Who<i> was he,” and “why he was away from Guaita,” but he had already started plucking the intro to the next song, having no control of his actions.</i></i></i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>So he was some sort of performer. He sang, played the lute, and even with limited knowledge, he knew he was quite good at both. The only problem was that he wasn’t a performer. He was a High-</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>The door to the inn slammed inward, and the cold night air brushed past him. A man with arms as thick as tree trunks and striking white hair glanced at him and gave a hum of acknowledgement. The man was coated in guts and reeked of onions. A Witcher. Did he associate with someone like this? Better yet, why?</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Then a monster's head was thrown down on a table.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>The poor old thing gave out. As soon as one crash was heard, another louder one filled the small space right afterwards. Maybe even a small "Fuck," from a certain Witcher.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He got up from his nice sitting spot and sauntered towards the strange man as if they were best friends.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“I- how- how dare you Witcher! We didn’t need your help, but we took it anyway. We did you a service, and this is how you repay us? By destroying property?” The Alderman said, his face already red and blotchy. It looked as though the Alderman could faint at any moment from a lack of oxygen.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“I just want my money.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>The pampered Alderman growled out his response, “You're not getting it.” </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Julian stepped in to do something “Now, that isn’t particularly fair. That table would have collapsed if a gust of wind hit it, much less a monster’s head! This dear Witcher just got rid of the thing that was killing all your sons and daughters! He risked his life to get rid of that beasty. Surely a few coins to show your obvious gratitude should be in order. It’s only the right thing to do. Toss a coin and all that!”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“And have him rape our women and children while he walks away with the little money we have, for doing nothing? A Witcher is just as much as a monster as this one on the floor.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Julian felt his eye twitch for a moment. How dare this man say that, when he was draped in the souls of those he starved with his intemperance. That wouldn't get him anywhere though, and Julian tried to calm himself down and actually do something.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Or, he would have if he didn’t feel a beefy hand grab him by the scruff of his doublet. </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He felt a tug and suddenly he faced a man with muscle on muscle, hair as ratty as a bird's nest with all the soot in it, and steel eyes filled with rage. The man he was currently seeing things through, (maybe possessing? It wasn’t quite that though,) knew what was going on, but he, Julian, did not. Quickly his mouth opened to claim innocence's, but was rudely accused before he could say anything.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“I knew I recognized that high pitched squealing from somewhere!” The man laughed a deep baritone, then turned to an angry frown, “You defiled my son, RIGHT BEFORE HIS WEDDING!” </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Ah, well, you see. That wasn't me! I don't even know when that would have been able to happen because I am like the wind. I float from place to place! I go to so many places throughout the year, what could the chances even be?”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>The man drew his sword at that comment. “I lost myself a pig because of you!” He leveled the sword with Julians neck.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>"Ah, I'm not sure that's the brightest idea right now!"</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Leave the bard alone, ”A gruff voice called out. Julian turned to see the Witcher looking tiredly at the blacksmith and completely ignoring the Alderman.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Why do you care, <i>Witcher?”<i></i></i></i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>He turned back his attention to Julian. Julian tried to break away from the very scary looking man, but his grasp held tight. He wound his arm back, then brought his short-sword closer and closer to Julians’s neck. </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>CLANG</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>The Witcher with bloody white hair stood there right beside Julian, holding his blade at the blacksmith’s throat. The blacksmith’s sword laid across the ground, clattering into its new place.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“I said, leave the bard alone.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>A beat past. Everyone in the tavern was tense, waiting to see what would happen next. </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>It was the Alderman who spoke first, the bastard. “The Witcher’s gone feral! Attack!” </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>Soon, every person who had a weapon and a grievance took up arms against them. Even those who didn’t, grabbed something akin to deadly. The tavern was crying out for so-called justice. The people ganged up against them, at first only going one-at-a-time tournament style, until they learned and surrounded the Witcher and Julian. </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>Even through the chaos, the Witcher and him were coming through spotless. While Julian tried not to get stabbed, the Witcher took them out non-lethally. He weaved through their attacks with the grace of a dancer and struck back the relentless attacks with a final force of his own.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“Geralt,” Julian exclaimed, then turned his voice to a whisper “I’ll grab our stuff?”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“Hm.” </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“Great plan!”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>He sprinted off to the stairs steps, only to be stopped by the man who started this all. If Julian thought he saw rage in his eyes before, he was surely mistaken. When he stared into them now, it was like looking at an erupting volcano. That, right there, was rage.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>The blacksmith swung his sword and Julian was back in the dodging game.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>So of course he had to do something completely impulsive.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“Sorry about the pig?… And what I’m about to do.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>With a swift kick to the balls, the attacks ceased and had the man practically rolling on the floor. Julian didn’t really care though, and rushed past, muttering “Again, sorry.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>Finally he made his way to the semi-safe-safe-haven, his room. He locked the door and made his way to grab Geralt's already prepacked supplies and scrambling to gather his own, already beginning the slow process of composing a new song. Preferable one that wouldn’t start tavern brawls.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>Julian opened the window, and even though it was a two story jump, he made it to the ground flawlessly. A leap to a nearby branch, then a roll just to be safe, propping up and smiling like he just performed for a crowd. He had the funny feeling he jumped out of windows often.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>Already, Geralt was there riding Roach, with 10 villagers chasing after him. He slowed down just enough to grab Julian and hoist him up onto the horse.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“Didn’t know all I had to do was to get us ran out of town to ride Roach.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“Shut up, Jaskier.” So this man’s name was apparently Jaskier.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>He took one look at Geralt and somehow knew this wasn’t a rare occurrence. Jaskier smiled and slowly lifted a bag up. Even with the small motion, the fat coin purse jingled.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>He tossed it to Geralt. “Looks like you get paid after all. Courtesy of the Alderman, of course.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>An incredulous look flicked through Geralt’s features, “When did you even get this.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“A bard never tells his secrets,” Jaskier laughed, “Anyway, what an ass of a town. Hell, what an ass of a town’s blacksmith! Sold his son off for a pig. A pig, Geralt! May as well sold his dignity and smarts with it.”<br/>
“And don’t even get me started with the Alderman. That piece of shit was starving his people, for a shriveled appearance of luxury.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“Some might say you do that yourself.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“How dare you, Witcher. I’ll let you know that if I use most of my money for doublets that will get ruined, it’s perfectly fine. I have taste, while that man laid in waste. Those poor fabrics could have gone into such better outfits, Geralt. Plus, I know that you’ll never let me starve, thank Melitele.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“Hm.”</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>“This whole situation reminds me of an old Professor of mine. He had the same lack of fashion and made up for it with being unbelievably cruel and pushy. Did you know that in Oxenfurt I used the thicker-than-my-head textbook to hide a bottle of vodka necessary to get through his geography class? After I drank the bottle, it would become my favorite class. But I'm sure there’s no relation…” As Julian continued to spin tales, he experienced a strange deja vu. These words were new but… familiar. At the same time.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>Julian continued his ramblings into the night, even when they pitched camp. He couldn’t help it. His <i>everything<i> moved on its own, like he was on autopilot. The only thing that had any sort of free will was his mind, but yet these stories he didn’t know came out of his own mouth. Was it really his though?</i></i></i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>He only stopped talking to pick up his lute and sing. The fire crackled, and as Julian stared into it while strumming away, he couldn’t help but ponder. </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>(Who was he taking from?)</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>He could tell that the Witcher’s mood would not be lifted tonight. Or the night after that. But, in Julian’s heart of hearts, he was certain it was going to be alright. He didn’t miss his own smiles and how the Witcher just made his heart soar. The person he was, Jaskier, loved Geralt. It hummed and sung like a never ending chant. </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>(When was he in love?)</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>The hope, that even Julian could feel, pierced through the dream-like quality of whatever he was witnessing. If Geralt could see that, it would be alright. And Jaskier clutched onto that hope like it was the only thing keeping him from going off and finding a new muse. From abandoning Geralt and letting the logic he knew win. For a fool cannot make another fool fall in love. Not when they're already in love. </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>(What was he really?)</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>So Julian just knew everything would be okay. If it wasn’t what would that make him. A bigger fool who couldn’t see, he concluded. </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>(Where did he fall?)</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>A bigger fool, indeed.</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>(Why did he care?)</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>---</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>Julian Alfred Vitale, Future keeper of Guaita, woke with a start. His breathing was chopped and his palms sweaty. He shakily ran a hand through his hair.</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>The fall air brushed through the open windows. He must have left them open again. But not even the cold air did nothing to pacify the anxiety coursing through his veins. </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>“What, in the sweet name of Melitele, was that.” He whispered to himself. Belatedly, he took a deep breath and then several more in his final attempt to calm himself. Surprisingly, It worked, and he was at last able to somewhat process what happened.</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>“That was… the most detailed, and weird dream I’ve had.” he whispered to himself.</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>Swinging his feet over the side of his bed, Julian got up. He went to close the windows, then went to the door, then back and forth. Back and forth.</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>Dammit, he’d started pacing.</i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>His feet dug into the lavish rug, every round he made. Even if his heart wasn’t trying to hammer its way out of him anymore, his brain wasn’t so lucky. The familiar surroundings did nothing to stop him from being overly alert and ready to react to anything. Julian's exasperatedly asked himself again, <i>“What<i> was <i>that?”<i> While his thoughts were swarmed with the notion that this place wasn’t right. That everything he knew wasn’t right.</i></i></i></i></i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>The tacky room didn’t help. The deep breaths didn’t help. Hell, even the pacing didn’t help. Why did it feel so wrong? Unless… no. That was a ridiculous thought. Why would it be a memory?</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>Julian may not have any before the turning, but that doesn’t mean they’ll come back in half-forgotten dreams. But, the fact that it was too detailed and too consistent to be a regular dream, persisted. The fact and fear that he couldn’t control any part of himself lingered. </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>So, it was a memory?</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>Julian side eyed his dark oak desk, gold inlay included. A stack of parchment sat there to the side, staring him down. Taunting him.</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>With a sigh, Julian sat, cracked open his inkwell, and got to work. At first it was a sluggish account, reluctant to really go anywhere. But as Julian felt another new detail slip further away, he scrambled. </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>Now, there was a flurry of motion and recounting the facts. Every passing moment he got more ink on him, but another sentence recorded. By the end, it was a thick pile of twenty pages. The last ten were just theories, and even then they got wilder and wilder. </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>Julian chuckled as he got more ink on himself. He was going mad. 100% mad. Soon to be locked away for fear of a man who would spit theories that would only really matter to him.</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>There was a loud dramatic knock on his door and Julian startled. He used the two seconds to regain some amount of composure. Then there was a disturbance of the air as said door opened. Even if the person didn’t announce themselves, it was clear who it was. </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“Julian,” she said, arms spread wide, “my favorite friend, that is oh so nice to me! Wake up! It’s noon- oh! There’s… ink, everywhere!”</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“Floriana! Hold on, just let me,” he tried desperately to rub some of it off.</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“What, why are you up? Shouldn’t you be pursuing your dream of sleeping the day off?”</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>Julian’s lips pursed, “While I normally would be… something came up.”</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“Julian? You okay? I mean, I know the blood drinking got a bit extreme last night, but still. You are a master at dealing with hangovers, I mean that one time where you-”</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>Julian dotted the last period and silently thrusted the stack of papers over with a small smile tugging at his lips.</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>She read the lengthy account fully and quickly, “Julek, what’s… what is this?”</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“I don’t know exactly. Well, I think it’s a memory… from when I was mortal.”</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“That’s… good.”</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“Yeah, yeah, it is. Apparently I was some sort of bard who traveled with a Witcher of all people. Isn’t that just crazy? From the looks of it, I was quite good at it too. Me, a bard? Crazy.”</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“Heh, yeah… you, a bard of all things.” She trailed off, her words suggesting she was happy for him, while her face painted a different picture. She put the paper down deftly and looked Julian dead in the eye. </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“What’s wrong?” He asked, concerned.</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“Are- are you not happy here, Julian? You seem really,” she waved her hand to point out everything with Julian right now, “Unstable.”</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>“I- <i>what<i>- of course I’m happy here. And stable. It just seemed like a nightmare for a bit, then the best thing to happen to me, then I was forgetting things. Scared me, of course. So I kinda wrote up a frenzy.” </i></i></i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>“Plus, I’m training here, and I love it. I’m just... doing some side research. You and Umberto saved me from my own mortality. How could I not be happy? All I’m doing is trying to fit all the puzzle pieces of my old life together so I <i>can move forward.”<i></i></i></i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Side Research? That’s what you're calling it? Never mind the question of if you really want to be <i>here.<i> Whenever you even talk about how ‘maybe this is a clue to who I was,’ or ‘I wonder if I used to do this for a hobby,’ or something as stupid as that, it’s the most passion I see from you for the entire week! Please, get your priorities in check, <i>before<i> it’s too late!”</i></i></i></i></i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>“Are you afraid of me leaving? Is that what this is? Because I won’t, I’ll come back. Why do I have to cater to what you want, when the biggest clue to who the hell I am is <i>right there!”<i></i></i></i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>“Christ, no, of course I don’t want you to leave. But it’s not just me, too. Can’t you see that? What about Umberto and Agapeto? They would care if you left. If you left and never came back because suddenly your old, dead life is all you can think of! All you can do! You’re taking this too far and you need to stop before you take this to an even more unreasonable level!” </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>“But I’m not taking it to an unreasonable level. You are! You are ignoring my <i>need<i> to <i>know.<i> And that once I do, I’ll be complete, for once! After that I’ll finally be accepted by everyone else, Flo! I won’t leave you, I promise. I won’t.”</i></i></i></i></i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>“Look,” she took a deep breath and lowered her voice from the yelling to a more faux calm that was definitely trying to threaten him, “I was going to offer to get drunk then act like complete idiots,” She picked up the papers and glared down at them, “But fact of the matter is, pursuing this will not be healthy for you. I know you. You won’t give in for something like this until it kills you.” She smiles, then it hardens back into a frown.<br/>
“No one else has been turned before though, no one knows what will happen to you if you gain your memories. We don’t even know <i>how<i> you got transformed. Much less getting back what you lost. It’s just something you need to learn to accept, Julian, you have too.” Floriana whispered, not letting her voice rise. But it was all for naught, as a loud burst of wind hit the windows, causing them to slam open.</i></i></i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>Floriana stood there and let the papers fall, get caught up in the wind.</i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i> “Good luck on moving forward when all you can do is look into the dead past.” </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>“Wait- Flo, that’s not fair! That’s not, fair.” He stood frozen, unable to move. She still left the room.</i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>Should he pursue this? If it will end up like this.</i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>Finally, Julian moved. He felt his knees grow weak and unstable and he collapsed back into his chair. </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>And then, all that was left was a mess of papers that slowly floated down to the floor, the cold fall air, and a lone Higher Vampire.</i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>--- </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>The days were growing frigid and dreary. It seemed like one day, the cold of winter was a distant memory, and then they were suddenly in the thick of it. The snowfall was especially bad this year, and while in the past they could sneak in a few visits to the local smatterings of villages, this year they couldn't. Not unless they wanted to kill the few surviving humans and or go into a deep regeneration. They would just have to stay put.</i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>But the most important fact of them all, was that Julian was bored out of his mind. Today alone he’d already wandered the castle twice, bothered Floriana more times than he could count, and looked at all the books in the expansive library. There was only so much research he could do before the ‘ugh’ crept in. He was at a roadblock anyway.</i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>So he tried his hand at wondering again.</i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>This is how he considered going to the one tower he never visited. Julian had always avoided it. Every time he looked at it, it gave him a strong presence of <i>wrong.<i> Once he even stared at it long enough for that wrongness to turn into something that worrying just felt <i>normal.<i></i></i></i></i></i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“But why today? Why go into this tower today?”<i> Well, to put it simply he was bored out of his mind and wanted to do something fun. Even with Julian trying to go bother Flo, she avoided him like the plague, just like the last two months. They only interacted when they had to train together, or the one memorable time they got dead drunk together (something about a tavern, a peacock, and three bottles of gin). Other than that, complete. Silence. </i></i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>So a new mystery to slice into seemed exactly what he needed.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>There was also the fact that something at the back of his mind was nagging him. Something about or in the unexplored tower had something to do with his past. Julian knew it. He just <i>did.<i> And personally he was so fucking sick of the constant wrongness that radiated of that stupid, dark, keep tower.  </i></i></i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>He was a higher vampire, almost nothing could truly kill him. He’ll be fine, if not scratched up. Worst case scenario, he’d just be stuck regenerating for an ungodly amount of years.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>He would heal, he would be fine.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian was still scared, though. He bundled himself into a thick fur cloak, with fur-lined boots and leather gloves.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“Worst case, you're stuck in regeneration. That's not to bad?” Was the mantra he told himself as he got closer to the looming tower.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Soon Julian was at the dark oak door. The iron was getting rusty and the stone of the tower was crumbling into chunks in some places. Ominous would be the first word to spring to mind if he had to describe it. He moved to open the door. The handle was weak and loose underneath his grip.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>The nagging at the back of his mind was getting worse too. Almost a headache? But not quite. </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian stood there for a moment, still gripping the handle. Going here was a mistake, wasn’t it? The <i>wrongness<i> was only getting worse. He took a deep breath. He had to be making it up. With that thought, he opened the door.</i></i></i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>The door creaked loudly and inside was dark. The fallen and discarded stones were crumbled on the moth eaten rug. The setting sunlight and snow was streaming through the holes in the wall, and soon it would be completely encased in both darkness and snowflakes. It would have been even more scary if he couldn't see, but the few streams of light would have to do.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Why was this place making his nerves jump to no end? He really should go back… right? He could always turn back, but he felt too far into this mess emotionally to just turn his back on it.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>There was also a stone spiral staircase, and every step Julian took towards it the more he gritted his teeth. It too was in a sorry state, and a part of his brain was begging him not to climb up it. He sighed and placed his foot on the first step and slowly made his way up.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>By the time he was greeted by another door, he almost screamed in pain. The best way he could describe the feeling was as if someone was trying to break his skull open and jam something other than his brain in there. But it wasn’t just one burst of hurt, it was an ache that came and went in waves.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>With some difficulty he pushed past the discomfort and opened the final door. He wasn’t supposed to feel pain, pain that felt like he was dying, slowly dying. He was supposedly well past his mortal days of anguish, but it was coming back full force and with a vengeance.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>But the door stopped when he pushed against it. It was bolted shut. </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian collapsed against the door, his body still trying to push it open, internally he rejoiced as much as he could, but there was an underlying current of pure anger cutting into that too.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian just let himself breathe and sit there. For just a moment, he could get himself under control. But then he started shaking. At first it was only a light tremble of his hands, but soon his whole body was convulsing.   </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>His anger at the situation grew too. Why couldn’t he get up and run? Why couldn’t he control what he did? <i>Why did that feel familiar?<i></i></i></i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>At first it was a hard pounding of his hands against the door, but soon he could feel wood splinters and blood mix as he punched the door. He was probably screaming by now, but it was now more of rage rather than of suffering. </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>The pounding and drain of the pain was all-consuming. Julian was so tired of whatever was causing it behind this fucking door!</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Wood chunks were flying as the door soon fell to pieces. He crawled his way through, his cloak getting stuck and tugged off, and cutting him up on whatever it could. He looked on helplessly as the many minor wounds didn’t heal instantly, instead persisting on bleeding.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>The room was filled with miscellaneous objects from farming hoes to horse saddles. There was even a silver sword in there. That wasn’t what his eyes snapped to when he glimpsed it, though. That privilege belonged to a lute. A lute that was a dark brown, with gold lines that weaved onto and into each other.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>It was a fucking lute that brought a Higher Vampire to his knees. Now, anger that was his own filled his veins. The pain was almost as bad as his transformation, and he had felt nothing like it since. Why was this <i>lute<i> being his personal tormentor? </i></i></i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Slowly, he pushed himself up onto weak knees. He could feel the blood from his knuckles drip their way onto the floor as he stood up. Then, he brought one of his quivering hands to his face, only to bring back even more blood. Julian could feel the warm stickiness of it around his eyes, ears, and nose. The bleeding was only getting worse. And it wasn’t stopping.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>He wanted to grab that lute and smash it against the wall, only leaving splinters and the terrible memory of it behind. It was clear, as Julian took more steps towards the damn thing, that he wouldn’t be able. He almost fell many times and actually did several times.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>It was getting bad. He had no thoughts, as his brain could only focus on the pounding pain. And he was close to blacking out, as darkness encroached upon his vision.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Just as he was in arms distances from it, it became too much. Julian fell on his back as his mind was flooded with images going too fast to fully comprehend.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>A man that wasn’t old but had striking white hair, magic that filled the air and made every hair on the back of his neck rise making his mind scream danger, a well used bedroom with papers bloated with ink and a view of a city on a lake, a prestigious stage with thousands of onlookers, cheering him on.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian wailed, begged it all to stop. </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>And soon it did.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>---</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian woke in his bed, once again greeted by the terrible decor. What a gift. </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian flopped around again, then stopped when he heard a sudden sharp intake of air. </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“Julian!” Suddenly he was wrapped in an impossibly tight hug.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>He faked the sound of choking, “Floriana- you’re, you’re going to kill me for a second time.”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>She moved from the hug and slapped his arm lightly, “You, Julian, are the stupidest vampire I know. Are you okay?”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“I think so? I’m not bleeding, I'm guessing, so that's an improvement. Did I… how long was I out?”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“Lucky it hasn’t been 100 years or anything like that. Your body had severe internal and external bleeding through. Your right hand was completely broken too.”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian rubbed his left thumb over his right hand. He didn’t even notice. “What even happened, it’s kinda… foggy?”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>She sighed and crossed her arms in defeat. “We don’t… know really, I mean you were still bleeding until we got you out of that building. Umberto cut himself in the tower to see, and he healed right up. We’re guessing it is your current… predicament.”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian squeezed his eyes shut. This was good, right? A new clue. But if it brought him this much pain? “Great, so just don’t go back there?”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Floriana narrowed her eyes “If you even thought you were for even a moment, you were sorely mistaken,” she placed her hand on Julian’s shoulder and her mood changed to a slightly more cautious one, “you shouldn’t have to deal with that stuff anymore, it's in the past now. If you continue on, you could end up in another one of these situations. You're a higher vampire now, Julian, through and through. There can be no more looking back.”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>He let that statement sit with him as Floriana hugged him again, then made her way out of the room to let him rest and tell Umberto of the news. She turned again just like she did two months ago, “I’ll pick a poetry book or two while I’m down there, okay?”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“Okay. Thank you!”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“No problem.” </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>After the quiet settled in, what Floriana said stuck. Was what she said really true? He wasn’t always a Higher Vampire, he used to be hunted, not a hunter.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>He wanted to know who he used to be. Was that too much to ask? Every other higher vampire always hated him. He was the only one without a past, the only unnatural one.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>This time before his mind slipped into rest, Julian asked himself if it was truly right. The need to know. To the point where it would drive everyone away. To the point where it could hurt him. </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>It wasn’t but he could keep it from getting that bad. It couldn’t be that hard, he decided, and Julian finally fell into a slumber.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading. I've been working on this fic since January, so it feels awesome to actually post it :D And the fact that I love these characters so much, I love writing them, no matter the headache! This overall is just a very awesome thing.<br/>Updates are gonna be pretty random just because I'm putting as much effort as I can in this. Meaning lots of editing and rewriting :/<br/>Anyways, I hope you have a menacing day<br/>(I also have a tumblr @ MenacingUwU)<br/>- &gt;:3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Each day restarts again; While I'm stilled focused on my end</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jaksier is a *tiny* bit obsessed</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took Julian a week to fully heal, but his psyche took longer. </p><p>Whenever Julian so as glanced at it, the horrible event that happened there came rushing back.</p><p>It took forever for him to even consider going back to that dark tower. </p><p>But when he started to consider it, he couldn’t stop. It was an all-consuming, invasive train of thought, that he couldn’t escape. When he woke up to train in the morning, to mid day lessons, to when it was 3 am and he got ready for bed, it consumed his every scrap of free thought.</p><p>That wasn’t the only thing plaguing his waking day though. There was something plaguing his dreaming one too. Constant nightmares were the norm nowadays. Julian couldn’t get in a full night’s sleep without something waking him mid dream. It wasn’t even fair to call them nightmares.</p><p>The thing was, that when Julian woke he would have some vague recollection. Bits and pieces really. He’d then spend the rest of the day wondering, trying to fit whatever spare part of conversion he caught into something that made sense, what it actually meant. It never did though.</p><p>The other half of the time he spent wondering about the stupid fucking tower. So Julian did something about it.</p><p>It was two years later, when a storm clap <i> CRACKED <i> and Julian sprang up from laying to sitting in his canopy bed. He sat there in the dark panting. His hands wrapped tightly around his own throat. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t talk. There was blood everywhere.</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He was choking, voice not to be found.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He was dying.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>No… no he wasn’t. His black sheets had no blood, and he wheezed violently.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He let himself swallow and feel his throat move freely with the movement.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Julian swung his feet to the floor and sat there for a moment. He sat up straight, shoved down the fear, and schooled his face.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>His hands gripped his knees instead, painfully. He wasn’t dying. He was fine. Julian would be <i> fine. <i></i></i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Julian darkly chuckled, he was going to have a great time recounting this one. He finally got up and moved across his tasteless room over to the journal brimming with used, inked pages.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He flipped to where he left off, only to be greeted with the last page. He sighed and wrote down some quick, slanted notes, just so he would be able to recount the major details for when he would forget. </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Julian then got dressed, putting on a simple outfit of a linen shirt and unremarkable trousers. This wouldn’t be his first excursion out to the tower, so he really didn’t need to get all done up.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He pushed past the doors of his bedroom, used journal in hand. Currently, his bedroom was the third floor west wing. Floriana had the third floor east wing and it showed. While he chose to decorate his wing with carvings of flowers in the mould trimming, and stained glass windows depicting spring in the meadows, Floriana’s wing was completely different.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>When she decided on how her wing would look, she must have thought that gaudy was the only way to go. Everything was gold with her, and when there was too much gold for her taste (meaning nothing but the trimming was gold), it would be a dark purple or deep satin red. In fact, she had chosen how to decorate his room before he arrived.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He shuttered, he really did need to replace it someday.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Julian’s smile didn’t last. Flo… didn’t talk to him anymore. The humor of the situation left.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>So he decided to just get a move on. Soon, he was descending quietly down the grand staircase to arrive at a set of two massive doors. </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He pushed past them and let himself breathe a little easier.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>While the candles lighting the keep were kept dim at night, the ones in the library were kept ablaze every single moment of each day.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>It always took Julian’s breath away when he saw the library. In total it was five stories high, as tall as the rest of the castle, just to have enough room to store all the knowledge archived in here. There was also a mosaic pathway, depicting the world Higher Vampires used to live on. Surrounding that were rows around rows of grand reading tables, and if it couldn’t get better, the world’s oldest librarian, Agapeto.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Back again Julian? I thought you said it was getting better.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“I apologize, my good friend, it seems like not only did I lie to you but myself. I really did think it was getting better,” Julian took a deep breath, held it, then slowly let it out, “Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s ever going to get better.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Agapeto sighed, “Julian, I do hope you find a way to negate these problems. While you may need little sleep, it is still a necessity. Your body and mind still need to adjust!”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Yes, I know that Agapeto. I just don’t even know where to start.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Julian, we will find a solution. I’m sure that you’ll find a spell tomorrow once you start blood magic. There has to be.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Heh, you sounded just like Flo there.” They stood there, as a few uncomfortable beats passed. “Anyways, I came here for a new notebook. It seems like my poetry has once again filled one.” He lied smoothly.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Alright, seems like the young vampire is becoming a bard! Maybe I should just give you all the notebooks I have,” Agapeto expression then turned more serious, “Don’t stay up too late composing.” Then, he turned to go fetch the new journal.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Julian stood there waiting. Occasionally shifting his weight from one foot to the other, tapping his fingers against his thigh. He suddenly stopped.  </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He wondered if he also used to be this twitchy. </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Agapeto returned triumphant in his search. “Try not to use this one up too fast, Julian. It’s going to take me some time to make enough to sate your apparent hunger for these songbooks!” </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>With a thanks and a small smile he stepped out of the library, and into the storm. Julian ran as fast as he could, running across Guaita and it’s courtyard in a matter of minutes. When he passed through the door of the decrypted tower, he only felt a small prick of pain before it passed. </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>What Julian failed to notice the first time he came here was that there was a trap door that led to several lower levels of the tower. The look of the structure seemed to worsen the more you lower down into it. Making it the <i> perfect <i> place to store his research.</i></i></i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>He climbed down the latter, slowly getting away from the roaring thunder and pounding rain. On the second to last floor, he stopped. There in all it’s glory was his lute. It had taken him days to transfer the damn thing to this level. He only stopped to put it here because the distance this floor brought was just enough for him to stay down there for hours without excruciating pain.</i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>Julian went up to pluck a random string, letting it ring out for a moment before he shied away. Through constant thought of it, Julian figured out that this lute must be from his past. They never seem to mention him experiencing unbearable pain whenever the topic was brought up, though. </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>Or maybe he was making it all up and the lute was cursed. Maybe it knew that he wasn’t <i> really <i> a higher vampire. That he was faking it or lying to everyone around him. It just knew.</i></i></i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>Julian’s foot hit the old cobblestone as he reached the lowest level, making a dull, hard sound. Slowly he turned, pulling out both his new and old journals. But when he saw that there was someone else, and <i> who <i> that someone else was, they slipped from his grasp.</i></i></i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>Sitting there on the only table was Floriana. Her figure was illuminated by the many candles and oil lamps scattered about. When he first found the cellar he thought it was perfect. It was clear no one came here in literal centuries, and it was several floors below the very location of his best clue. Julian didn’t even have to bring the table in. It was just <i> there. <i></i></i></i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>He was so proud of finding a place to investigate in peace.</i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>But now, in his sanctuary sat the woman who’d been trying to stop all this ‘nonsense.’ The woman who Julian considered his <i> sister <i> was in the place where she could ruin it all.</i></i></i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>The hairs on the back of his neck rose, he felt ready to lose everything, and then fight to get it back. Or maybe even stop that in the first place.</i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>“Floriana, didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”</i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>“And I didn’t expect for you to continue something that is bound to get you killed.”</i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>“How do you know that.”</i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>Floriana sighed. “There are… some ways to kill us. Continue this,” she picked one of the papers off the wall, “and you’re bound to find one of them.”</i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>“Flo why are you <i> really <i> here.”</i></i></i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>She hopped off the table, and strewn about even more entries about his dreams, theories, whatever he could think of about his past.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Floriana, why. Are. You. Here. I know you hate the research, I do. And don’t pretend I haven’t noticed the distance you’ve put between us. In the name of Melitele, how did you even know I’d be here, I’ll give-”</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Fight me.” Floriana said curtly.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Wa- wait, what?”</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“It’s been ages since we’ve last sparred,” she squared her shoulders up, “so I want a fight.”</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Julian hurriedly looked at his makeshift study. No way in the nine hells would he allow a fight to take place here. The tower in all was absolutely large, but not each floor was. He would have to battle in a small cramped space, and definitely break things he did not want to break.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>So it was either all his notes getting caught on fire, or fighting in the relentless thunderstorm, possibly getting struck by lightning, and risking an untimely regeneration.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Julian felt as though this was one of the easiest choices in his whole life.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Fine… but please, let’s do it outside. If anything it’ll be a better fight.”</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Soon, they were out on top of the crumbling tower. The rain pitter-pattered off the square blocks attached to the flat, round roof of the keep’s tower. Thunder rumbled and resonated deep within Julian. It seemed every few minutes a new bolt of lighting would flash, and the drums of the sky would shake the world below. The storm was getting closer.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Both of them stepped to the ends of the flat-roofed tower. Julian tried to be semi careful in where his feet landed, while Floriana walked with faux grace. Not a care for if she fell.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>She could always shift after all.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Alright Flo, we’re here. You still want to battle?” Julian yelled, trying to get over all the noise. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>She nodded in reply, crouching down, ready to fight. “No killing, everything else is fine.”</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Wait, that not how we us-” </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>She launched herself at Julian, coming eerily closer. Floriana had her nails out, already making this an unfair fight. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Shit!” Julian brought his hands up to his face, then felt a sharp pain as his forearms got cut. He then grabbed Flo’s arm, using that momentum to palm punch her in the nose.  	 </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Her other claw-like hand pierced Julian’s throat. The little sound Julian made was killed.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Julian retaliated and kicked Floriana in the shin. She hissed in pain then went invisible. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Another flash, another clap. The rain was starting to get in his eyes.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Julian swiped at the almost healed neck wound, getting blood on his fingers. He spoke an invocation and made the hand movement required. The blood exploded into a cloud of deep red, glinting in the darkness.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Flo had taught him that.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>The smell of blood was starting to sicken him. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>It would have to serve as a distraction well enough. Julian pulled out the only weapons he kept on himself.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>As the blood cloud dissipated in the rain and wind, there stood Julian, more ready for this deadly fight. Two silver daggers gleamed in the dark night sky. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Julian paused for a moment, then lunged towards a seemingly empty spot. A smattering of red appeared and flew off into the wind. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>The sound of blood was drumming to the tempo of his heartbeat.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>The smell of rain was nearly overwhelming.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Julian took a couple steps back, trying to put distance between him and his invisible opponent.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>The scent of another registered to Julian’s right. He turned to stab at it when,</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>The world lit up again in a flash. Floriana materialized above Julian, claws out ready to dig into Julian’s very bones. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>She landed and sunk both hands into Julian’s shoulders.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>He fell and hit the ground with a hard thud. His daggers clattering against the stone. His shoulders jerking, trying to get free, but not getting far.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>A last-ditch attempt then.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Julian brought his knee sharply against her chest and kicked her off of him. Flo let out a high pitch hiss of pain and let go.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Julian, rolling out from under her and standing up again, changed tactics. He charged ahead and entered a dance of thrusts and strikes. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Dodge, attack, parry.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>The pain felt far away as all he could focus on was the fight. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>He could feel the music that sung during battle. The careful footfalls, the decisive attacks. It hummed in his very bones. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Another crack of lighting, another rumbling of thunder. The rain wouldn’t cease. The tower floor glistened. The blood highlighted the dark greys.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Florina dodged every attack. Predicting where he would strike, and moving like water to sidestep each one.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Julian’s breathing grew harder, footwork sloppier. Faster he struck empty air, just trying to. Get. One. Hit.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Finally, he rushed forward to pierce Floriana's throat. She knew this though, and grabbed Julian’s arm, putting her other hand on Julian’s injured shoulder.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Then she threw him.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Time slowed as Julian flew through the air and rain. For a moment all he could see was the spider web pattern of lightning in the sky.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>He tried turning, twisting his moment to grab at anything that could save him. But he couldn’t move correctly.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Then he saw Floriana’s face. Her eyes were wide and expressive, mouth open to gasp. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Fuck!” </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“JULIAN!”</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>Fear flooded his mind and his heart jumped.</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>A hand grasped his ankle, while the razor-sharp nails dug into his muscles and hit bone. Julian’s head knocked against the tower wall, and he could feel his skull crunch a bit under the impact. </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Julian!”</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Fucking hell, Flo! My head is actually killing me!”  </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>He felt a tug on the healing ankle, as he was lifted up. “When will you learn Julian?”</i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>“Is this <i> really <i> the place where you want to have this conversation? When I’m dangling over a way to a <i> very <i> long fall? Thank you for getting us caught in this situation, may I add.”</i></i></i></i></i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>“You haven't stopped,” she roared over the rain and thunder, “You’re taking this too far! The few times I've seen you, you weren't <i> you! <i> You were just trying to force yourself to act like someone you’re not. Like some average, eccentric bard, who falls to lust with every person he meets. That isn’t who you are Julian. Please, stop now! While you still can!”</i></i></i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>“What happened to the Floriana who helped me learn to live with undeath?”</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>“I’m trying to protect you!”</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>“Well you’re doing a shit job of that! I don’t need it in the first place!”</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>“How is protect you from yourself unneeded when you’re like-”</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>Julian patted himself down as he now stood on the roof, maintaining eye contact. His body was matted with his blood and his ankle wasn’t looking too pleasant, but at least they were healing. </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>“FLORIANA AND JULIAN.” </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>They both looked at each other, and in a moment of increasingly rarer sibling-like commandery, two words slipped from their mouths, “Oh, shit.”</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>Umberto stood there, in all his furious glory, “Why are my two pupils standing in a storm, one partially transformed, and the other coated in his own blood?”</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>“Sir, he-”</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>“Sir, it was an unprompted attack-”</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>Umberto appeared behind them and grabbed their ears, twisting them. “We will further this conversation, when we are inside, dry, and clean. Before that happens, I want you to have a nice long think about why it's not okay to interrupt your teachers nightly reading time for a spat!”</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>---<br/>
In the end, it wasn’t too bad for Julian. Alright, human watching was boring as it could possibly be, and Umberto was pissed at him. Turns out Floriana and him had gone and gotten on the same side when Julian wasn’t watching.</i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>He truly was alone in his endeavors it seemed. Agapeto, Umberto, and Flo, all left him to his research, and it wasn’t like he could get any of the lesser vampires that ran the day-to-day to talk to him. </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>Something about him being lesser than them. </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>So Julian had to babysit some captured mortals until the next big party, which was a big celebration for the higher vampires arriving in this world. Or maybe it was more a mass mourning of losing the old world. It seemed like every time they spoke about it, it was in some sort of double speak. </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>Every night Julian would come down here after lessons and look after the humans, only being relieved of the self-important duty to get his needed four hours of sleep. He’d have to do this for three <i> full <i> years. </i></i></i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>He’d just hope that Flo would be nice enough to his corpse while it regenerated.</i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>But as Umberto had said, “Don’t pile on too much self-pity, Julian. Floriana had to go through this too. It’s only one of the many steps on becoming a keeper of Guaita. One must learn how to entertain, through any means necessary.”</i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>Julian had always found that sentiment weird. Why <i> entertainment <i> of all things? Shouldn't it be just about anything else?</i></i></i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>But his fellow Vamps had followed it to a T. They even had the words engraved into the gate way of Guaita. Pompous ass pricks. </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>A loud twang echoed out throughout the empty halls, lined with tiny cells. Julian looked down at his hands and sighed, he had his fingerings all wrong. Moving his hand up the finger bord a bit, he strummed the lute again. A sweet lower tone rang out. He felt a trickle of blood coming from his nose at the sound but nothing he couldn’t push through.</i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>He passed another cell and strummed another cord. Most of the inmates were put into a deep sleep through a blood ritual. It wasn’t a spell you could easily cast in combat, but it was easy enough to keep it applied on the hundred or so prisoners they kept.</i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>Prey, blood sacks, prisoners. Julian hadn’t found the right word for them yet.</i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>It was part of his “job” to go make the rounds everyday, checking to make sure no one had come out of the coma yet. It varied from person to person, but on average lasted around two weeks to a month. </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>A stone came flying out towards him. He moved his head backward, dodged it, and took out his songbook in one fluid motion. Looked like cell number 11 wasn’t asleep anymore. He frowned as he looked at the middle aged man, he looked nothing more than a skeleton with a thin layer of flesh attached. Julian noted that the cells needed new food. </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>It was when Julian got to cell number 87, that something eventful happened.</i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>Instead of a rock thrown or a fearful whimper, someone <i> spoke <i> to him.</i></i></i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>“Never thought I’d see the continent's most famous bard hanging around a bunch of vampires.”</i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>Julian felt himself tense at the noise. “Ah, um. <i> What?” </i></i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>The mortal gave him a look, one that looked as though she was thinking he was playing a sick joke on her. A look of disbelief and wariness.</i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>“Nevermind,” she spat out, and went back to staring into the darkness.</i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>Julian frowned. This mortal was the first to recognize him. Maybe he could prod a few questions out of her.</i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>“No, wait. You know me?”</i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>Her eyes shifted back to him, “Yeah?”</i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>“Can you tell me more?”</i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>“Sure…” She spoke slowly as if one answer wrong could get her killed. And really, it could, if this was just about any other vampire.</i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>“You’ve passed through my town a couple of times, and played. You are as good as they get, they say and I believe them. I enjoyed every second of your performance.”<br/>
“I doubt everyone feels that way though, and I guess it doesn’t- <i> didn’t, <i> matter seeing as you disappeared about a decade ago,” She shrugged and the red hair she had moved like a flame, no matter how dirty. “That’s why I said that, everyone thinks you're dead. My favorite was always the one 'about the amber eyes. I always thought it was real romantic, but of course no one believed me.”</i></i></i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian stood there for a moment and thought. So he really was a bard.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“What did I go by?”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“Jaskier. Are… you not him? I-”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>He smiled, “Thank you for the information.” He took note for his job, then went back to strumming his lute, already happier with the sounds he was making with it.</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>“Why, are you looking for him,” She said as he walked away, “Are you his twin brother or something?”</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>Julian turned, and with a smile that was almost, <i> almost <i> as same, as sunny, as <i> true, <i> to Jaskier’s, said “Something like that.”</i></i></i></i></i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>
            <i>
              <i>
                <i>
                  <i>
                    <i>
                      <i>
                        <i>
                          <i>
                            <i>
                              <i>
                                <i>
                                  <i>
                                    <i>
                                      <i>
                                        <i>
                                          <i>
                                            <i>
                                              <i>
                                                <i>
                                                  <i>
                                                    <i>
                                                      <i>
                                                        <i>
                                                          <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>
                                                            <i>---</i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                            </i>
                                                          </i>
                                                        </i>
                                                      </i>
                                                    </i>
                                                  </i>
                                                </i>
                                              </i>
                                            </i>
                                          </i>
                                        </i>
                                      </i>
                                    </i>
                                  </i>
                                </i>
                              </i>
                            </i>
                          </i>
                        </i>
                      </i>
                    </i>
                  </i>
                </i>
              </i>
            </i>
          </i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I did it folks! I'm trying to get this put up at <i> LEAST <i> once a month, because hey! life is a mess! The month should give me enough time to do write and update even when the world gets set on fire.</i></i></p><p>Just wanna add though! The castle in this fic is based off a real one, with the same name. I realized while writing the third chapter though that it isn’t big enough for what I’m trying to do. So while the geography is the same, it’s also very different in terms of everything else’<br/><i><br/><i>lastly though, i want to send a big THANK YOU to the patron saint of editing my fanfiction. I promised I would wax poetry for his sacrifice so here's my best attempt. Find him nowhere, because "it doesn't matter" (That's not true and we both know it!)</i><br/></i></p><p> </p><p>  <i><br/><i>An ode to a friend is what I recommend,<br/>for when the fanfiction is a badly written crucifixion<br/>thank you so much and all that and such<br/>Try not to die when you reply</i><br/></i></p><p> </p><p>Find me @ MenacingUwU on tumblr and make sure too have a menacing day!</p><p>- &gt;:3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Light me a new torch, and burn my body</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They all fucked up in the end.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CONTENT WARNING(S): SELF HARM, BURNING FLESH, GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE. PLEASE SKIP PAST THE BOLDED ASTERISK TILL THE END OF IT. READ ENDNOTES FOR SUMMARY OF EVENTS.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The summer storm had finally parted after days of grey skies and downpour. The sunlight seemed to blind Julian’s, eyes adjusted to the usual dark and dreary nature of coastal weather. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian rushed to his sister’s room and pounded on the door. The tiles were cold to the touch, and he was glad he sprinted over here without much thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian pounded on the door relentlessly, impatiently waiting for an answer. Eventually, his restraint snapped and he swiftly opened the door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There laid his sister, eyes shut and breath uneven.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you’re awake, Juliet!” He announced, clambering onto the bed poking her until an eye snapped open. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Juliet lunged at Julian, and punched him in the arm. “Let me sleep!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A laugh, “No! The sun’s out. Come on, we can still go out before lessons!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then get out of my bed loser!” She said with a grin, shoving him off.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After one unbearably long wait and then the rush of sneaking out, Julian and Juliet were out in the sun, basking in it’s glow and warmth. It was the most welcome respite.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The grass seemed greener, the skies clearer. It was an amazing sight that Julian wouldn’t replace. It was such a nice day, that if you squint hard enough you could see the Adalette river flowing out east into the vast, expansive ocean. In this moment, Julian loved the coast with every fiber of his being.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian and Juliet ran towards their usual spot, which was placed at the edge of the nearby woodland. There stood an old and twisted apple tree. It’s branches bent low to the ground under hanging its own weight. But somehow, it still grew a small bounty of its delicious fruit each year.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Summer brought them this joy to sneak out of hot lessons that would melt them in their seats. Right now, Julian and Juliet were on a mission to escape boredom and seize the season's prizes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian rushed into the tree, and started to hoist himself into the first branch he could grab. Juliet was close behind, yelling after Julian to be careful.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And make sure to save one for me, Buttercup!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian laughed, not a care in the world. He turned to stick his tongue out, “Then you better hurry up, slowpoke!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One arm reached out in front of another, ascending higher and higher. Caution far below him. Julian was invincible.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>To show off he climbed to the very top, where the branches thinned and weakened. Everyone knew that the best grew at the top; not one apple that touched the ground was worthy for this late morning snack. Julian only wanted the ones that graced the clouds.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That’s when he found the perfect pair. Two gleaming yellowish-red apples captured Julians attention. They grew on a twig of a branch, just out of reach. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian looked down, and briefly the facade of this adventure dissipated. To get what he wanted, Julian would have to take a risk and place his feet off the stable boughs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He frowned, then looked back at the gleaming reward. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian would just have to be quick.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He lifted his left foot to test the nearest footfall. Pushed it gently, to test if it was enough. It would have to do.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian resumed his quest to claim what was soon to be his breakfast. Nimbly he placed a hand, a foot, then pulled himself off his safe branch. There was no stopping him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stretched his arm out, fingers barely brushing the cold, wet skin of the apple. It was almost his.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just out of reach.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span><em>SNAP</em> </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His hand fell farther and farther from what he wanted. He fell through the clouds as blue skies surrounded him. An endless sea of blue.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He took a risk and it blew up in his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian expected a wet, cold, and slimy impact.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What he got was a ‘oomf’, and a warm hug.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Juliet, his older sister of three years, had caught him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian started laughing, and soon they were both sitting in the grass still coated in mildew. “You, dear brother, are one of the stupidest people I have ever met.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And in a moment, the laughter stopped. Instead a wicked grin replaced it as Julian replied, “I agree.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>--- </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Life was pretty normal after that day. Train endlessly, research tirelessly, sleep fitfully. Nothing was new even with the leads.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But Julian still did his job, craving the new information that would have to come when the human woke up. She may not want to share, but Julian has his ways.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That’s why Julian was carrying a small cloth bindle. He would do this everyday, since the two week mark when he first met the human. Julian was hoping she would wake up sometime soon. Sneaking the supplies out was becoming difficult.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He jumped off the last step and landed on the rough stone blocks. He approached cell 87 and let out a delighted “Ah!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There in all her ratty glory was his only lead. “Well, I for one am thrilled to see you awake. How are you doing?” He asked, trailing off when the human didn’t respond immediately. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment though, she lifted her head, “Agatha. My <em>name</em> is Agatha.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He ignored the snark, opened the cell, and ploughed ahead in his preplaned spiel, “Agatha, great. Now last time you were awake, which I will helpfully inform you was six weeks ago, you told me some wonderful information.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She narrowed her eyes, “And you want more?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Too bad. Turns out I’m fresh out of any.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I doubt that,” Julian said as he sat down in front of her. “Plus,” he continued even with the mounting annoyance growing in Agatha’s eyes, “I have ways.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian let go of the four corners of the cloth. Laying there was a loaf of fresh bread, a handful of plump raspberries, and a block of soft cheese. He then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an awkward-fitting jar of jam. Then, with a dramatic flare, Julian produced a gleaming bread knife from his sleeve. Agatha just looked at him funny.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wel, not everyone loves their bread with a side of theatrics. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Julian set it down, he continued his talk, “The best way to get someone to talk, is through the wonderful nature of food!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“... Ah.” She cautiously reached for several raspberries at once, then shoved it in her mouth. Julian made no move at the food.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope I packed enough for you! It’s hard to tell how much you’ll eat. With you being a mortal and everything else. While I would like to eat with you, the nature of my being states that I eat other things. Not like I’m in the mood to eat anyways.” He said with a wave of his hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Agatha was halfway through choking herself when she noticed Julian was staring at her. “Oh, right. Should've expected that you wouldn’t do this out of the goodness of your own heart. So, what do you want?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“To tell me every little detail about my past self, of course! Nothing too difficult.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Agatha, I’m sure you didn’t tell me<em> everything.” </em></span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hell yes I did. I told you everything I could remember after a 20 or more year gap!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmfp, fine. Please add on whatever details you can.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Agatha glared at him. “Fine. I can do that. What's your name anyways.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In an instant, Julian’s pouting had turned into a sunny smile. “Julian Alfred Vitale, future keeper of Guaita at your service! Happy to make your acquaintance, Agatha.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And just like that, Julian had acquired a new friend. The first couple of times they talked, Agatha asked to be promptly put back to sleep. But as the years passed, she would stay up for a couple of days. With Julian sneaking food and books, the days for Agatha didn’t pass too dreadfully.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>---</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The party was underway, Julian could tell. While most of the time Guaita was a lifeless husk only kept around by it’s keepers, other times it was different. Very, <em>very</em> different. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian crept down the stone steps that lead him to the cells. The quiet that struck him left him feeling off-kilter. It was completely different to the hustle and bustle that had overtaken and consumed what seemed to be every waking moment in Guaita. After days of noise, going to the place he hated just made <em>perfect</em> sense.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wasn’t like he could live in the tower either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as Julian heard the wrought iron door closed, he dropped his bored expression and broke out into a grin. Julian speed walked to cell 87, hopping over railings and taking whatever shortcut whenever he could.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Agatha looked up from the herbalism book she was reading. Julian saw and launched straight into his pre-planed plea. “Look, I understand that you wanted to ask me some questions, but can I please just have one more answer? <em>Just one?</em> It’ll be quick, I promise.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No. I’ve been answering your questions from the day I met you. I’ll probably still be doing it till the day I die.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Har har, very funny. Nevermind the fact that my questions are perfectly reasonable, and anyone who was in my position would be doing the same.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, but they wouldn’t be as annoying about it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You, my friend, are a jackass.” Julian finished as he plopped himself on the ground in front of Agatha. He pulled out the food he’d made, and set it up in the mini picnic style that Julian preferred. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Agatha snapped the book closed, and the sudden sound echoed in the dungeon’s halls. She smirked as she asked her first question, “Let's start easy. How’s Floriana?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That is the exact opposite of easy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Answer the question, Julian.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine. Floriana is doing alright. Though if you must <em>insist</em> Floriana and I, not so well. It seems that she’s stuck on the fact that this will get me killed. I think she’s trying to protect herself with distance and all that fun stuff. Positive she has the idea that I’m going to abandon her lodged in her head. Anyways, the conversation that is absolutely necessary between us is stunted. It’s… expected nowadays, so I handle it better. Next question?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You still have something in your pocket.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm, I do?” Julian patted himself down and found in his inner coat pocket-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do you have a bunch of medical supplies on you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck,” he muttered, “To answer, I’m not sure? I’ve never been trained on how to even use them, and I heal too fast for it to be of any use… why do I have these on me? I never noticed taking them or anything.” Julian gave the supplies more weird looks as he put them down with caution and picked back up the bread and jam.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Weird. Anyway, moving on. Are you his twin brother? Where are we exactly? Why are you here if you're some super vampire? Also, how old are you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If you're only counting the years I remember, I’m nine-ish but I’m sure I'm older,” Julian said through a mouth full of food. He gulped it down and continued, “I certainly act like it. No, I’m the first ever mortal to be transformed. As you know, I lost my memories because of that process. As far as I’m aware I am…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaskier.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you. Haven’t had the chance to study my notes. Moving on, I’m stuck here because I am an apprentice. I’ve been a ‘future keeper of Guaita’ for almost nine years. I wouldn’t mind the job, but I am a bit distracted with more important things right now.” He paused in his eating to pick up another food, “We’re on top of Mount Cermora, in the castle on top of the only real mountain in the Tukaj foothills. There used to be a castle on the base of the mountain, but that fell into ruin. I know some gnomes tried to dig further into the mountain and got somewhere with it, but nowadays it’s also in disrepair.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds mysterious.” She deadpanned</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That's just Vampiric culture for you.” He shrugged </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Agatha took a breath and gathered courage for her next question. “When can I go?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian froze in his eating. “I’m… working on a plan. I know that nothing gets past these impossibly thick walls, but there's a party. It’s a celebration of the conjuration of spheres. During the partying, or maybe mourning, it's hard to tell, no one will pay attention to me. They’ll gossip about me of course, but it shouldn’t be too hard to slip past everyone's attention. Then we will get you out of here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know that when we do escape, you’ll probably want to go somewhere. But I have one last favor to ask you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever I can try to do, I will.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Great. What I need is some help finding my family. I don’t know how long I have been here, but they need me. I can’t exactly travel alone, and maybe you can help me? I can help you of-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll do it Agatha.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you. For a second there, I thought you were going to say no and finally eat my liver.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t forget the tongue. I’ve heard it’s the best part.” Julian said darkly, before a beat past and both Julian and Agatha quietly laughed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Some time passed as they talked about nothing in particular. Agatha looked happier already. The anticipation of escape and freedom giving new fuel to her hope. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the time it was dark and Julian had no more excuses for staying this late, he left. He had a party to get ready for.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>--- </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All confidence Julian had in himself had completely evaperated. Away, unavailable, absent, forgotten. Gone. Whatever Julian thought he could pull off at this party was shot down with the fact that Julian had to interact with people who <em>hated</em> him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was used to it by this point. Not everyone at a gathering would enjoy his presence, but this time… </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This time Julian <em>knew</em> it would be bad. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian would have things expected of him. He would have to show why he was worth all the trouble. The training, the shelter, and for just about any scrap anyone besides Umberto and Flo had given him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian tugged at his collar again, trying to get it in place, going by feel alone, not quite getting it right. Carefully, he then slid his daggers into his various hiding places, deciding to go lightly armed to this party. His foot tapped a rapid pace against the floor. He had a harder time hiding other survival tools, incase somehow he and Agatha weren't able to grab their packs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Barely audible footsteps coming down his hall, a single hard knock, and the opening of a door. “Master Severo asked me to escort you to the party. He wants us to make an appearance together.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Great. Are we going to continue the no-talking rule at the party? What about when we have to give a speech?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Unless you forgot about it again.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll let you know that my improvisation has jumped leaps and bounds since the last time one of these things has happened.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No lighthearted denial this time, just an awkward lag in the conversation. In fact, when was the last time Flo was laughing with him, not at-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian stopped, his hands unbuttoning, then buttoning his mantle on and off again, in an indecisive manner. It was a style similar to Umberto’s but less impressive. Shorter for one, and the style enforced the idea that Julian and Floriana were lesser, still in training.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s just go then. Better show than never.” Julian frowned as he forced the words out of his mouth with a sigh. Looks like he would be wearing it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Floriana and Julian approached the doors, Julian could hear a lesser vampire proudly announcing their names. The grandest doors in all of Guaita swung smoothly, letting Flo and him step onto the third floor balcony overlooking the massive grand hall. The only thing making their entrance more pronounced was the giant organ beginning their entrance song, the one that Julian hadn’t bothered to learn the name of. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Grand Hall definitely deserved the grand in its name. Firstly, it was made up of several stories. With pure-silver ribbed vaults that broke the ceilings into a semantical kidleidoscope of design, and tall, imposing windows, showing off the flying buttresses. Much like the Library, Julian had a hard time keeping his childlike glee and amazement hidden. It was just so beautiful in it’s gothic way.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>20 minutes to an hour, that was all the time Julian could spend socializing. 20 minutes if he wanted to get Agatha out as soon as possible, an hour if he wanted to keep his reputation intact. Hmm… what would <em>he</em> do.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian practically grabbed Floriana’s hand and skipped down the grand staircase with her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He grabbed a goblet of the weaker stuff, right off a Lower Vampire’s tray, and followed Floriana, ready to jump into any absurd social situation. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One vampire fawned to get Floriana’s attention through lengthy conversation about music theory, while somehow completely ignoring Julian’s attempts at showing that he knew some.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Another had written a whole epic about the keepers, while somehow conveniently forgetting Julian's existence. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Suitor after suitor, they all fought for Floriana’s attention, Julian going unnoticed. He didn’t give up, even in his growing frustration. He didn’t wear the nice doublet for nothing after all.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After making their rounds of the male side of the party, they moved onto the ladies. Their hair was braided, then tied around their hair. Flowers were embroidered into their sleeves, with an open back, and wide sleeves. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One lady went above the average extravagance, with her dress being covered with embroidered purple lilies. Her hair was filled to the brim with black pearls and silver ribbons.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It made Julian’s midnight blue doublet, with a red inlay, and black pants and boots, feel sleezy compared to her outfit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The ladies were mingling, and Julian interrupted them. “Dear’s, I hope you are enjoying this fine party. It was no easy task to put together!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello Julian, I’m sure Floriana’s efforts won’t go to waste. Even with Severo drinking the table under.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fret not, as even with some people's efforts, we have been gathering blood for ages. Everyone has been putting their all into this party, to the point I even arranged some of the music being played here tonight. As another century passes, it’s one century closer to getting home.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I suppose that’s true. Us higher ups of clan Gharasham-” Julian had never heard of her, “-will just have to make sure only the worthy pass through The Gate when that time comes.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally Flo jumped in, “And Umberto and I have made sure that Julian is among those numbers.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re so sure, Floriana. At least your opinion can be trusted. Come Ladies, I think I just heard Aunt Perla be announced.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were out of earshot, Julian started to complain, “I like talking to people, getting to know them and all that great stuff, but this is the exact opposite environment I want to do it in.” He hissed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, Julian, maybe when this is over we can go drink ourselves stupor, or something.” She said with a pitying smile. It was the kindest one she had given him in years.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Now that right there sounds like a great- ah fuck. Look Flo, don’t take this the wrong way, but I <em>really</em> shouldn't.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you already make plans? What did Agapeto force you to help him book bind?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah he said that I either do that, or not get any new songbooks for a least a season.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed, “That man and his books. Well then, I guess that means I better go find someone to spend the night with. Try not to get stabbed.” She said with a wave, then she disappeared into another small group.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After that, Julian tried to gain some attention from the partygoers. At the forty minute mark, he even allowed himself to get stabbed. For entertainment purposes only of course.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He barely touched his goblet. When he inevitably left his on a table, someone would just press a new one into his hands. filled to the brim, and overflowing with blood.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>While Julian did care about his general reputation staying intact, he was okay with letting this go. Whether or not it was seen as improper. He had to escape later tonight, and he wouldn’t do it drunk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It would be fine though, off to the next group after all. Vying for their attention. A stab wound was barely anything. Maybe he should show them his new glamour spell?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After all the introductions, small talk, and a few more minutes demanding attention with blood magic, the hour was over. Julian shot straight to where Umberto usually stood. If he didn’t talk to his own teacher, and then disappeared? Julian shuttered. He didn’t want to burn <em>that</em> bridge just yet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Following the path of gold and silver weave, was Umberto. Who enjoyed being stuck chatting with some other Vampires of similar age. He stood at the front of the hall, right where the organ was only a bit to the right. Where you could hear the stops being pulled and the air being pushed through the old metal pipes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Umberto hushed the organist as Julian approached. Umberto’s smile was wide, making his ruddy cheeks obvious, and his magnificent silver and midnight blue mantle slightly skewed. Overall he appeared to be deep in his many cups. Maybe he was on the mourning side of this gathering? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Master Severo! How are you doing this fine evening?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Good my dear boy! Color me surprised that our dear Julian somehow snuck the adformention thing into the all black dress code!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A smattering of polite laughs. Jeez, this crowd really does hate him. A joke Umberto tells never goes silent. Mostly because fear of him was real.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Speaking of my apprentices, where is your better half, Julian?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh you know, being the social butterfly that she is, probably being doted on by the ladies of this fine party as we speak. I wouldn’t put it past them.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The chatting continued, and while Julian would normally be soaking in the unwilling attention given, or show off his crystal blood cloud, his mind never failed to wander to slightly more important things. Like how to escape Guaita with no death and all flesh attached.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Umberto's face fell into his signature crestfallen expression as his cup turned empty. Party Umberto with no drink was not a happy Umberto.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Julian boy, would you please get someone to get the next <em>prisoners</em> from the list? I’m afraid other matters are distracting me at the moment. That ham is looking absolutely delicious.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, sir.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Thank Melitele for the free out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian appeared by a lonely Bruxa and asked for the list, stating he was tired and a bit too drunk to carry on. Even with the terrible and unconvincing lie, she told it to him. There was only one physical copy, and all the other Lesser Vampires were tasked to memorize it and strike off cells when the inhabitants were used.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She told him the list and simply asked him to give her the numbers he was going to send up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was as she was going through it when she listed off cell number 87.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span><em>Fuck.</em> </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In a moment the music faded out, and the conversation stopped. The world froze as Julian realized he would have to leave. This was it, no more saying goodbye.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He just hopped that Flo would forgive him for not leaving a note.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian tried to save face and leave the conversion like a normal person would. With a few stumbled “Thank you’s,” and “I’ll be sure to do… what you wanted me to do’s,” Julian thought he pulled it off flawlessly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kinda.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the door to the grand hall closed, he was off.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His feet pounded against the ground as he tried to gain speed. The intoxicating smell of blood pouring freely grew farther, and farther away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He took one of his daggers and rolled up his right sleeve. Taking it and doing a quick plunge into his arm, hitting a major artery. Julian yelped in pain, but kept on running. He didn’t have the time to make this tidy. Or painless. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He dragged his finger through pooling blood, drawing out the sigil on his forearm. The magic activated, and Julian’s running pounded against the tile even faster.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian had to move. Julian had to do a prison break, to stop a friend of being drained of her life. Julian had no time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He slammed into his room, grabbing his pack, and shoving the pocket notebook that contained most of his memories into his inner breast pocket.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian could feel the spell wearing off. His body grew more and more tired and lethargic. He could never cast it properly after all. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He still ran as fast as he could. Was it even really a choice?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian collided with the dungeon’s heavy door, moving it without a care. He jumped past the stairwell, rolling when finally landed. Ignoring the sharp jab of pain.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After that, finding cell 87 was a breeze.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Agatha, wake up! We need to <em>go.”</em></span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha- Julian, what,” Her face cleared as the situation became apparent, “Fuck. Okay, I guess hoping for a clean escape was a bit too much but <em>still.”</em> </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, and I’m sorry but- fuck. I really fucked this one up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you did exactly, but you admitting it must mean it was important to you at least.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian threw the cell door open and tossed Agatha her pack. “Thanks Agatha, really appreciate the great timing-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Julian… boy, what are you doing here?” A slurred voice called out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian’s blood turned to ice. No, no he couldn’t be here. So close to being free…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Falling, he was falling.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Just getting the prisoner out, Sir. Just like you asked.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Unless I asked you to give them a sack and a pat on the back, you aren’t doing that. Boy, tell me why there is also the <em>stench</em> of <em>that</em> kind of blood magic?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit shit shit shit-  </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Umberto wasn’t the only one reeking of nasty smells. The alcohol, even without advanced senses, could be smelt from the end of the long hallway where Julian stood.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Master Severo, I promise you- okay it is what it looks like, but I promise you <em>I’m doing it for the right reasons.” </em></span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Does the right reasons include breaking out scum. We are Higher Vampires, ranking over all others. This isn’t you, Julian. You would gladly rank over others. Why sympathize with those you do not have to? Julian, you are simply piling on pity onto this <em>mortal.</em>” He spat out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian’s blood started to boil. Fuck Umberto and his pretentious readings of the world. Fuck how he saw Julian. He always knew Umberto never saw the point of letting the people he kidnapped free. Why would he? He was the very definition of the old guard. Being a tired drunkard, who acted as a strange father-esk figure to Julian.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth together. Umberto wasn’t the only one getting angry. “No. You’re wrong about me. I need to get my memories back. A freak accident doesn’t mean I want to be a keeper of this… <em>decrepeted</em> place till we somehow open a portal to <em>your</em> world. This is mine, and I want to belong to it!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“There are consequences to these actions, boy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Umberto clumsily shifted both his footwork and his body. Turning to a sharp, dangerous, monstrous side of himself. He was ready to fight his own apprentice. “So be it. Let’s just get this over quickly” he slurred.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Umberto’s clawed hands bursted into a bloody mess. Every joint on his hand was a separate, steady stream of blood. That’s when it got weirder.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian tried to move in front of Agatha, tried to grab her and start running, but he was stuck in place. Even though he boasted he could, Julian just could not understand what was happening in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Did Julian have his differences with Umberto sometimes? Yes. Did Julian then expect Severo to then attack him for trying to save his friend from imminent death? Maybe. Throw <em>blood magic</em> at him? <em>No.</em> </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The streams started <em>floating upwards</em>, amassing into a ball in the palm of his hand. It was heating up too, bubbles of many varying sizes growing and popping. You could almost say it wasn’t an even ball, as there were that many holes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lines of steam trailed after the boiling sphere, as it headed towards them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>Move. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian's arms burned as he threw them up in front of his face. He didn’t even remember finally stepping up and doing something. But here he was, in front of Agatha, trying to muffle his screams, as his forearms and face <em>burned. </em></span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Umberto’s- no, cold and heartless Severo said, “That wasn’t ‘posed to happen.” It didn’t matter if he missed his target though, as his face harded. And then rushed forward. His arm swept upwards, claws barely hitting the burnt flesh.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>While Severo was older, and faster, the alcohol flowing through his veins was a massive hindrance. He stumbled forward, his form getting sloppy. This was the only thing allowing Julian to move away from his attack’s in time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian pulled his used dagger out. He swung it and deflected Severo’s right hook. The sound that made. A horrible scratching, as steel scraped Severo’s nails.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Severo pushed forward still. His left came back, as he tried shoving it into Julian’s gut. Julian got the last laugh though, as he punched Severo in the throat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even with all the blood everywhere, all Julian could smell was beef, just dropped into a sizzling pan.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There were only so many successful doges Julian could pull off though. For every cut Julian could get, it was two for Severo. He had no problem healing it, and so did Severo. It was when he hit a burnt part, where he just couldn't heal it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His forearms and jaw weren’t the only burnt parts of him now. The tips of Umberto’s claws were coated in the hot, acidic blood. Thin lines covered Julian’s body now, where the silk was completely gone, and instead there were lines of marred skin. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Severo attacked again, and landed a successful hit on Julian’s right breast. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He could feel the fabric tear away, dagger-like nails digging into Julian’s flesh, with the tell tale sign smolder following. At least he couldn’t smell his blood.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Severo stepped back, with only a fistfull of silk, Julian let out the sigh of relief that had caught in his throat. He didn’t hit the-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wait no, there was something in that silk. As Severo let it fall, there it was in all its glory. His notebook.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Severo’s face twisted into a wicked smile. He opened it, reading through a page, then tore it down the middle. Again and again, till there was nothing left, but illegible scraps of pages.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian lept towards Severo. “You <em>bitch!”  </em></span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the time Julian had tackled him, it was too late. For a moment Julian could land a good amount of hits. One stab turns to five, then twenty. “Just let me leave!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Severo’s hand connected with Julian’s face, as he pushed him off. It burned past the already wounded skin. His lips are gone, and he can’t see out of his right eye as Severo burns it. He can’t smell anything, because most of his nose is gone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If Julian could feel it, there were also his nails peeling off lines in Julian’s forehead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian didn’t even know if he’s bleeding anymore.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Severo pins Julian to the ground, ready to continue putting more pressure on Julian’s face. Burning more and more of him. He’s not even screaming… or maybe he is?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Fuck.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His dagger had long since ended up somewhere on the prison floor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All Julian can think is <em>get this off of me, make it stop. </em></span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His hands fly up to Severo’s. He pushes, and pushes, and <em>pushes.</em> He can feel it move, slowly. Agonizingly slow. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Severo tried to keep his hand on there, but he was losing this fight. He was finally losing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He forced the burning torment away, then kicked Severo away from him.   </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It worked as Severo fell on his ass.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian got up and approached Severo. Severo tried to get up, or run away, but it was too late. Julian seized Severo’s hand, and shoved it into Severo’s face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was different then how it affected Julian, that much was apparent. Even with only eye working, Julian could see that. Immediately, it melted past the skin, even the muscle. More and more bone showed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian looked on as Severo screamed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Agatha stood there, Julian’s lute in one hand, both their packs in the other, her mouth was agape. The scene was horrifying. Charcoal, pig, beef. Where to even begin. The <em>smells.</em> They were the first thing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Vampires had moved so fast, they seemed to teleport. They were talking in one moment, next on the floor screaming in pain.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was gonna throw up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian was still here though, and they needed to get out. As he standed above the body, she moved to shake him out of it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Agatha put her hand on his shoulder, he whipped around. But not Julian. His face was pinched almost, and his nose upturned. There was no emotion as he looked dead. When she glanced down at his hands, the nails were rapidly growing longer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fu-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>***</strong>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sounds of running was the next thing Julian registered. He still couldn’t feel anything in his face, but at least it didn’t hurt. At least.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Julian? Julian I looked all over for you and Umberto… Can’t believe you’re...”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He turned away from Agatha, back to the burned body and the sound. That voice…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Flo?” He cried out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She skidded to a halt, her face contorting as she smelled the body. She didn’t know it was one though… until she then looked down. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is… is that who I think it is?” Her face turned as white as a sheet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Flo- Floriana, this isn’t what it looks like. It- it wasn’t my fault.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She crumpled to the floor and picked up the body. The skin peeled more under her hands. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Floriana whispered something, a desperate plea. She turned it into her mantra. “No, please no. Sweet Melitele, please.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julian stepped towards her, his hand reaching out to comfort. He stopped as soon as he did it though. Floriana’s head snapped up to look him dead in the eyes. They were as cold as steel.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you do, Julian? What. Did. You. Do.” Her voice was heavy and thick with tears.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing, please Flo… believe me when I say I’m not trying to be like them! I’ll come back, I promise! I just have to do this!” Another careful step, like trying to approach a wounded animal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Go. It doesn’t matter if you <em>apologize,”</em> she spat out, “you’re still doing it. Leaving me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Flo- ”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“GO!” She screamed. Her face was shifting too, in a sudden change.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Agatha reached out and grabbed Julian’s hand. “Let’s get a move on Julian. Now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He turned back to Agatha and swiftly nodded, then looked back at Floriana to say one last thing, “I’ll return. I’ll make this right. I… I didn’t mean to kill him. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She just looked at him frigidly, still cradling Umbero’s limp body, as he and Agatha started to run away. As they approached the cell that had the loose wall, Julian heard Floriana’s voice in his head, “Don’t come back. You never belonged in the first place.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tears pricked Julian’s eyes, as he slammed his weakened body into the wall, crumbling it into dust. The unforgiving full moon stared back at them and the stars glittered into the sky. Underneath you could see forests for miles. The wind howled and pierced into Julian’s very bones. It was too beautiful. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then, they jumped into the long fall to freedom. Tears started flowing freely, as his body heaved. Julian had started sobbing in the descent.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He always did have a long way to fall.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Umberto finds Julian trying to break Agatha out of jail. They fight. Umberto burns both Julian’s face and notebook, with an acid-like substance. The wounds do not start healing. Umberto badly injured Julian's face. Julian then kills Umberto by accident.</p>
<p>So funny thing, because there are so few Higher Vampire's, it seems like each one has a unique ability! While Julian is too young (Or maybe too broken), to have one, Umberto definitely did! At first I just wanted him to show off some cool blood magic, and then it kind turned into his ability! All of this because I forgot how I was supposed to kill him off. So I just made his own thing kill him. Hoping the cool literary themes or something rub off. </p>
<p>Also, if you noticed that Flo evoked Melitele's name, without any mentioned worship of her happening in Guaita, good on you! I imagine Jask's use of that phrase so much would carry over, even if he got his memory wiped. Some things just never leave do they? Anyway, Flo just unironically started using it, till it stuck.</p>
<p>Of course we must give applause to the beta of this fic! He is the best, and I wrote a (deeply terrible) poem about it!</p>
<p>My Friend, the beta is very cool<br/>He helps me not be a fool<br/>Tells me when to follow the rules</p>
<p>Get yourself a beta<br/>Else you can’t create a<br/>Peer reviewed thinga</p>
<p>God this is hard<br/>Trying to throw in your best regard<br/>Hope you enjoy this thing that’s very odd</p>
<p>(You will never know the headache posting this chapter gave me)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>